strings attached
by ateengirlneedsbooks
Summary: Annabeth always thought the American dream was shit, and that it probably wasn't even worth a shot. However, when she was offered a job in NYC, it suddenly didn't seem such a bad idea. Besides, Thalia and Percy can't be the worst company ever, right?
1. Chapter 1

*Percy's POV*

Percy looked left, then right, before crossing the street. He made his way towards Hogan's Bookstore, wallet in hand. He took the keys from his pocket and set to work on opening the old bookstore's lock. The door opened, and in he walked, turning the sign on the door so it said "OPEN". He turned the lights on, walked over to the counter and put his wallet there, shuffling off his coat. Then he looked over the bookshelves, sighing because of the big day of work ahead of him.

He didn't fancy working at a bookstore too much. He'd rather be a swimming coach, or even a barista, but bookstores weren't really exciting. Hogan's was particularly dull, as it was basically hidden and would likely be overlooked. Well, anything was better than working with his dad. The bookstore's clients were normally the same, and he and Thalia, the other worker there, knew almost all of them. Well, he was half a barista, he thought, as he turned the coffee machine on. The bookstore had a small cafe where costumers could sit and read, but it wasn't much. There were at least cookies. He swiped one from the counter's drawer, and was just about to finish it when the bell above the door jingled, and Thalia came in.

Her black, blue-striped hair was as messy as ever, its short length spiking up and making her look like a lost girl from Peter Pan. She was wearing a black pair of jeans, black shoes, and a black t-shirt with the words "Punk isn't dead, you are." written across in silver handwriting. He didn't doubt she had made the shirt herself, or at least the slogan it sported. That was one thing about Thalia. She always personalized all her clothes, no matter what they were. Black shirts with stars? Connect the stars so they form constellations. White shoes that would go perfect with that shirt? Draw stars on them. She was unique in that way, and Percy thought of her as the little sister he never had. Well, little in size.

"Hey, Perce." She said, swiping the rest of the cookie from his hand and eating the last bite.

"Hey! That was mine!" Percy said.

"Was being the keyword." She replied, smiling.

"Ha, ha." Percy scoffed, before placing a coffee mug below the machine he had turned on earlier.

Coffee started pouring into it, and he leaned against the counter and stuffed his hands in his skinny jeans' pockets. Thalia grabbed a corner of the bookshelf closest to the counter and pulled, making it swing open and reveal the store's storage room. Lined with more bookshelves than the shop, the closet had stunned Percy into silence when he had first seen it, the day he had applied for the job. Now, though, he stared at it with a bored expression before turning back to his coffee. It was ready, so he grabbed it and sipped some, before putting it back on the counter and sighing. Today was going to be a long day.

*Annabeth's POV*

Annabeth cursed as her bag opened, spilling all its contents on the sidewalk she was walking in. She knelt down quickly and stuffed it all back, not worrying in which order the contents were organized. She was already late, and had no intention of missing the meeting she was going to. She had recently been called on by a company who needed to build a new apartment building, and she was more than ready to take the job. She loved architecture, and she loved New York, so it was quite the exciting event when she was able to move here. The job had just added to the long list of reasons why she had wanted to move out of San Francisco. She hadn't parted on the best terms, though.

She had not seen his father so angry since she had woken his whole family up with her screams from her nightmares. Her stepmother was more than pleased to let her go. She always thought of Annabeth as a bother and a bad influence, for some reason, to her two sons, tough she would never say it aloud. So, leaving her father and his new family behind, she had made her way to New York, excited yet afraid of what she would find there. Before long, that fear vanished, in the form of a call form her best friend Thalia. She lived in New York, and was more than happy to let Annabeth stay at her place while she got one of herself.

Which, Annabeth hoped, would not be before long. Her first paycheck was supposed to come in a month, and she was more than excited for it. The company she was working for was pretty wealthy. This feeling strengthened when she arrived at the company's building and saw the marble floors and chandeliers. She made her way to the main desk and rang the bell. A man in a blue suit popped up behind the main desk.

"Hello." He said. "What can I help you with?"

"Hello. I'm here to see Mr. Poseidon? I have an appointment, I believe?"

"Ah, yes! Ms. Chase, right?" The man replied, taking out an agenda from somewhere in the main desk.

"Yes, sir." She replied.

"Of course."

He reached inside the desk and took out a phone, quickly dialing a number. Annabeth didn't need super hearing to know the man was talking to Mr. Poseidon about her. He talked with his face set, but there was a certain softness to it now that he was talking to Mr. Poseidon. The man finished the phone call, slipped the phone into his pocket, then motioned for Annabeth to follow him. She trailed behind the man, admiring the pieces of art in the halls they were walking through, and feeling pride blossom in her chest when she recognized almost all of them. They walked through a long corridor, and Annabeth and the man's steps resounded in the empty, clean hallway. The man suddenly stopped in front of a door, making Annabeth almost crash into him.

He didn't seem to notice, though, so when he opened the door at the end of the hall they had reached Annabeth managed to keep a straight face. She stepped over the threshold after the man. Her gaze was quickly drawn to a man sitting behind a large desk.

He stood up, and Annabeth could now observe his features. Poseidon had a light stubble, high cheekbones, and a dangerous appearance. He looked like the kind of man who you would not think to cross. His hair was short and styled, and he looked like a middle-aged model. He was also, Annabeth noticed, quite young for the boss of several companies and his own industry. Even so, his eyes were a dark green, and a mixed kindness and harshness in them. There was something about those eyes that suggested Poseidon had lived through a lot. His body was muscled, and the dark blue suit he was wearing made him look formal and prepared. She took notice of the sad look he'd and when she'd come in, and of how quickly he and changed it. His face was now a mask, calm with a small smile.

Poseidon nodded to the man who had taken Annabeth here.

"Thank you, Tyson, for bringing this young lady here." He said, his voice smooth.

"Yes, sir." Tyson said, nodding back at him.

Poseidon at him again, a softness in his eyes. She checked Tyson, and effectively saw he had the same softness. There was something similar about them, and she made the connection by deciding they were probably family. The man swiftly left the room, closing the door behind him. Poseidon motioned for Annabeth to sit in from of him, in a comfy-looking chair. She did, and looked back at the man before her, who had also sat down.

"Well, Miss Annabeth, I daresay I'm quite pleased to see you here. I wasn't sure you would be able to make it."  
"Yes, sir. This past days have been a little bit hectic, to say the least."

"You just moved to New York, right? I can imagine how it can be a little stressing. I do hope you don't mind we get down to business at once?"

"Oh no, not all Mr. Poseidon."

"Call me Poseidon, it sounds better."

Annabeth nodded and took out her notebook and the few plans she had already devised at home and on the few free hours she had here. Poseidon seemed quite pleased with the amount of work she had done so far. They discussed the plans, what Poseidon wanted to do, and other details. The meeting went swiftly, and by the end of it, around 4pm, Annabeth was quite pleased with the results. More important than that, Poseidon seemed pleased too. They stood up and shook hands, then Poseidon motioned her to the door.

"I do hope you are able to adjust to New York, Miss Annabeth. And if you find yourself struggling, I'm sure one of my sons would be glad to help you. Don't hesitate to ask. " Poseidon said, as he walked down the hall with her.

She paused before talking, thinking about who "my sons" would be referring to. She was sure, however, that the man who had showed here here (Tyson?) was definitely one of them. She wondered who the other one was, but decided quickly against asking. She was pretty sure that was exceeding the worker-boss limit of questions. At least for now.

"Oh yes, I think I will." She answered with a smile.

Around 4:30pm Annabeth was already on her way home, relishing the fact that her meeting had gone so well. Also, the fact that Thalia's home was so close to Pacific Industries, the company she now proudly worked for. She walked through the city's streets, admiring the architecture. San Francisco wasn't dull, but she had lived there all her life, so it was pretty boring to her. She loved the way the city's buildings stretched up to the sky, while keeping a free feeling. She didn't feel caged, and it made her even happier. This day was really going well.

She crossed the street to get to Thalia's building, pushing the front door open. She climbed the stairs and got to Thalia's floor, number 3. She made it to Thalia's doorstep and took out her keys, unlocking the door. She sighed as soon as she walked inside the apartment, and collapsed into the couch without a second thought, her bag thrown aside. She closed her eyes and thought of taking a small nap before Thalia arrived…

She was woken suddenly by somebody shaking her.

"Annabeeeeth!" Thalia said, still shaking her by the shoulders. "We're supposed to have movie night tonight!"

"I know, I know!" Annabeth said, chuckling under her breath. "I was just a little tired. I took a small nap."

"At what time did you get here?" Thalia said, frowning, ignoring her reply.

"Around 5, maybe? Why?"

"Annabeth, it's 10pm. I think you were a little bit more tired than that."

Annabeth groaned as her cover was blown, and Thalia's frown deepened. She could anticipate the question coming, and had no desire to answer it. But by the time she thought of what to say, Thalia had already opened her mouth.

"Have you been sleeping well lately?" Thalia said, with a face that implied she already knew the answer.

"Not really." Annabeth said, not finding a reason to lie to her friend.

Thalia looked exasperated, but hid it well. If Annabeth was not so good at reading people, she wouldn't have doubted the apparently calm expression her best friend was wearing.

"You should go to sleep." Thalia said, and Annabeth knew she couldn't discuss this with her friend.

She had no other option, so she just said goodnight to Thalia and made her way to her makeshift bedroom. It was actually the guest room, but as a guest, Annabeth had got around to calling it her own bedroom. It didn't actually have any personalizations like Thalia's poster-filled room. Her clothes were all stacked into some of the closet's drawers, her notebooks organized on top of each other in her desk, and all her plans and drawings in a neat pile.

Annabeth couldn't work in a crowded environment. Her ADHD took care of that, for she would always get easily distracted. Even her pencils were in a small box. She took out the things form her bag, putting her pencil case with her other pencils, her plans in a neat pile and her computer in the middle of the desk. She got down on the floor and crawled towards where the charger was stored, plugging it in and retrieving the other end so she could charge he computer. She also plugged in her phone and left her earphones somewhere near.

She closed the blinds and changed into one of her closest pajamas, a gray shirt with gray owl shorts, then climbed unto her bed. Finally, she turned off her lamp and rolled over, falling asleep in seconds.

*Percy's POV*

Not far from Thalia's place, in an even smaller apartment, Percy Jackson closed the door behind him, and threw the keys into the closest table. He looked around and sighed, but his thinking remained the same. He preferred living in this small, cramped apartment than in his father's mansion. Or eve in his mother's apartment, where she had already gotten herself a home with Paul, her husband. They hadn't been married for long, and Percy didn't want to intrude into their relationship.

Also, he didn't really like sharing a household. Sure, it looked kind of empty without someone else, but it was quiet and peaceful, which was all he had ever wanted. Also, he had all the privacy he wanted.

He entered his bedroom and his eyes were drawn to the window in his room. It was quite huge, as it almost covered a whole wall. He looked away and at the clock on is bedside table, which read it was 11:30pm. He had a couple of minutes before he had to go to sleep. He was actually used to not sleeping that much now, though. Nightmares were a nightly thing, and he almost never slept more than 6 hours. Even if he did, it would be 5 hours of uneasy sleep.  
At least he was good at hiding his emotions. He didn't suspect Thalia knew anything, and much less his parents, who he barely saw anymore. He pulled off his clothes, throwing them into the pile in the corner of his bedroom. He was left in his blue boxers, and he opened the window a little before sitting on his bed. The cold air lashed at his face, and he let it, not really bothered by it. He listened to the life outside. All the honks and shouts, the occasional siren, and some noise from the alley next to his building.

It wasn't really much, as his building was old, used and the painting was peeling off the walls. His apartment was in a good condition, and Percy knew it wouldn't give out under him. It was a small comfort. He reminded himself of the sink he had to repair, but thought of it better, and decided maybe he would do it tomorrow.

He looked out of the window, admiring the city. It bored him to no end to recognize all his father's buildings. They weren't really inconspicuous, as they all had a dark blue color and a terrace pretty distinguishable by their parties. They almost all had parties every night, and although he didn't specially attend to every single one of them, his father certainly liked for them to make a good impression. There were lights shining up to the sky, signaling a premiere night, an important person's birthday, a charity event, or even a party just for fun. He groaned at the thought of parties involving his father. Or him.

He didn't know how long he stared out of that window, seeing the cars and people walking, thinking, until he fell asleep to the lulling sound of the city.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

*Annabeth's POV*

Annabeth woke to the sound of Fall Out Boy playing from Thalia's clock on her bedside table read 7:30am. She groaned and rubbed her eyes, looking around the room. It was the same as she had left it yesterday, but light was glowing through the blinds. It bathed her room in a spectral light, and she was tempted to stay there all day. Still, she had things to do. Staying at Thalia's didn't come free, and she had to help around the house. She stood up and made her way to the bathroom.

She washed her face and took a quick shower, changing into some jeans, a blue t-shirt and white shoes. She fixed her hair in a ponytail and was out of the door after applying some mascara and a little bit of eyeliner. As soon as she got to the kitchen she set out the table, then took out the pancake mix. She felt like she owed Thalia for not being able to watch a movie last night with her. As she prepared the pancakes, she yelled for Thalia to come eat breakfast. The black-haired girl obliged, showing up still in her pajamas.

"Don't you have work today?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah, but I go in late. I think about at 9am?" Thalia replied.

Annabeth nodded and got back to the pancakes. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Thalia prepare two cups of black coffee, and she was secretly grateful for it. She hadn't slept too well last night either. Her nightmares were starting to come every night, and she didn't know how to fight them anymore. She set the pancakes into the two plates she had prepared earlier and took the maple syrup out. She thought about taking the day off. Poseidon and seemed pleased with her, but she immediately shrugged the option off. He seemed kind, but he was also her boss, and a man you wouldn't want to cross.

So she sat with Thalia, eating her pancakes. She turned the TV on and was surprised to see F.R.I.E.N.D.S. was on. She nudged Thalia and they both laughed. It was their favorite TV show to watch together. It made them laugh. They sang along to the intro song and laughed at the character's antics. By the time she was over with breakfast, Annabeth was quite happy.

She offered a last smile to Thalia before going back to her room to work. She had to finish the building's infrastructure, so she set to work on her Daedalus laptop. She had bought a program for this, and it made everything much easier. Before long she was halfways through her work for today. She actually considered taking the after noon off, as she didn't have to meet with the head of Pacific Industries until tomorrow. Finally, she decided, and as soon as she heard Thalia get off the shower, she closed her laptop and headed for the living room.

"Hey, Thalia, do you have to work at noon today?" She inquired.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I'm almost done with my work, and I was wondering if I could go hang out at your workplace for a while?"

Thalia was excited with the idea. Before long they had made plans to meet up at the bookstore at 4pm for coffee. She bid her goodbye, hugging her tight, before heading for the bookstore. Annabeth smiled to herself in the empty room, before deciding to go grocery shopping. She grabbed the keys she had let on the living room the day before and exited the apartment, a smile her face.

She didn't know anybody in the city, so the trip was short. She picked up a few things she needed, then made her way back to the apartment, with about three shopping bags in each arm. Okay, maybe she pick dup more than a few things she needed. But Thalia had asked her to go to the grocery store, so she thought she may as well take advantage of it. Back in Thalia's apartment, she set her phone on the living room table with a small speaker, and put her favorite songs of the day.

She hummed and even danced along a little to the playlist she had made while organizing the groceries. She was done in a few minutes, so she sat on the living room couch to finish her work for the day. Time slipped by, and she was startled when she looked at the clock on her laptop, which showed it was 1pm. She went to the kitchen and took out the necessary materials to make a decent sandwich. She hummed to herself as she ate it, happily watching the TV.

After a short while she went back to her laptop and worked. She loved architecture, and she was sure she couldn't have picked a better work line. It made her happy, even if it was stressful sometimes.

Her phone beeped, showing it was 3:50pm. She cursed as she realized as soon as she had finished her work, she had fallen asleep on the couch. Again. She gathered her things in her bag and made her way out of the apartment, hastily locking the door behind her. She jogged towards Hogan's Bookstore, and was a little bit out of breath when she reached the building.

A bell jingled above her as she opened the door and looked around, then bak at her watch. 4:03pm. That was a record. She looked around again and saw a small table by a window. Making her way towards it, she checked her bag quickly so as to be sure she hadn't forgotten anything. When she sat down, she immediately took out her laptop and set to work on tomorrow's assignment, before deciding she didn't actually need it much. Bored, she looked around the bookstore, wondering what she could do. It hit her suddenly and she felt stupid for not considering the possibility before. _She could read a book._

She set to assessing the bookshelves, and pick d random book out of the nearest shelf. _The Terrible Thing that Happened to Barnaby Brocket._ It looked fun. She headed over to the counter to pay, hoping to find Thalia there. Her wishes were granted.

"Chase!" Thalia said. "How long have you been here?"

"Meh, not long. I was actually planning on reading this book." She replied.

"Oh! That's a good one!" Thalia said, before taking the book and scanning it, extending her palm towards the blonde. "That'll be 7.99!"

Annabeth paid for the book and offered another smile, then stuffed it in her bag. She and Thalia talked for a little without actually going to a table. Annabeth was about to ask what they were actually going to do when Thalia looked the other way, grinned brightly, and extended her arm out, catching a man in black skinny jeans, a black shirt and a leather jacket. The man looked bored at being caught.

"What's up Thalia?" He said.

"Oh, nothing." She replied, but the smirk on her face didn't go unnoticed by Annabeth.

"What's going on?" She intervened.

The man looked at her for the first time, and Annabeth found herself bushing. What was happening to her? Still, she returned the man's gaze with an ice cold glare. The man looked at Thalia, then at her, then back at Thalia. Finally, he turned to Annabeth and stuck his hand out, offering a lopsided grin.

"Hi. The name's Percy." He said.

"Annabeth." She said, shaking Percy's hand.

They both turned back to Thalia, who was watching the exchange silently.

"Is there anything you want me to do? Or did you just want for me to meet her?" Percy said.

"Actually, Perce, I wanted you to cover up for me?" Thalia said, making a pleading gesture with her hands. "It's not going to be for long, I promise. I'll just have coffee with Annabeth and then I'll be back."

"Okay." Percy scoffed.

Annabeth could see he didn't really care much, he was just slightly annoyed. they made their way to the shop's cafe, and sat down together. Thalia disappeared for a moment before bringing one coffee for each and a piece of pie for them to share.

They had a great time, enjoying each other's stories. Finally, when the mood was relaxed, Annabeth asked the question she had been waiting to ask since she had met Percy.

"So, who was that?" She inquired. "Percy?"

Thalia laughed and threw her head back, and although she didn't know why she was laughing, she patiently waited for her finish.

"Oh it was nothing. Perce is like a little brother to me. I thought you might like to meet him. And I needed for him to cover my shift." She said.

She looked innocent, but Annabeth could see she was hiding something.

"Then why did you just almost have a seizure right there?" She pressed, referring to Thalia's laugh.

"Nah, I just thought about how flustered you seemed while talking to him."

Annabeth was stunned into silence, and she could feel a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"How am I supposed to not be flustered when I practically ran the whole way here?" She asked, but she immediately cringed at how stupid and pathetic her excuse sounded.

"That so does not count. You were probably here for an hour before you met Percy!" Thalia replied.

Annabeth sighed, admitting defeat, and watched a Thalia grow a smug smile on her face. Gods she hated that smile. She could see Thalia start building an arsenal of question to ask her, and was saved form answering them by none other than Percy. He walked towards the table, took a chair out from the closest table and sat down. The back of the chair was towards her and Thalia, and he leaned against it before speaking.

"Sorry, Thals, but I can't really cover for you much longer. Just got a call. I have to go." He said.

"Was it from your dad?" Thalia asked, and Annabeth knew she had touched a nerve when Percy's expression tightened.

He quickly went back to his bored expression. The only thing that betrayed his anger was a small spark in his eyes. It was gone.

"Yeah, I need to go meet him." Percy replied.

"Maybe you could take Annie here to dinner later?" Thalia said.

She knew Percy was just as stunned as her by this comment. Thalia wasn't one to play matchmaker, specially with her two best friends. She was a proud person who hated being paired up, so she normally didn't do it. Now seemed like an exception.

"What?" Annabeth said, at the same time Percy started: "I don't really think-"

"Oh, shut up, you two." Thalia said. "Please do it? For me?"

"Thalia, we don't even know each other." Percy said.

"Exactly!" Thalia said, her spirit not dimming at their obvious discomfort. "You'll go on a date to get to know each other!"

Before either of them could reply, she spoke again.

"You either go on a date together or deal with me not giving up on the idea."

They both immediately sighed, as they knew how persistent Thalia could be. After a few more incentives from Thalia and some complaints from Percy and Annabeth, they agreed to meet on Thursday at an Italian restaurant somewhere near. As Annabeth got up, reminded of the work she still had to do, Thalia grabbed her by the arm and stopped her. At the same time, she grabbed Percy and pulled him up.

"Hey, Perce, could you go with Annabeth to the apartment?" Thalia said.

"You want me to what?" Percy said.

"Yeah, you heard me. Go with the lady."

"Thalia," Annabeth intervened, "I can take care of myself. Nothing will happen to me."

"I know about that." Thalia said, stubborn as ever. "But I think you two should get some spontaneous talking going."

"How is forcing us to walk home together spontaneous?" Percy inquired.

"Oh, shut up." Thalia said. "Just walk her home."

They stepped out of the bookstore, and Annabeth was met with a blast of cold air. Fall was ending, and winter was drawing near. She shivered, and saw Percy glance at her. He quickly took off his jacket and handed it to her.

"Here, take it." He said. "You need it more than me."

Annabeth accepted the jacket gratefully, and shrugged it on. they set off towards Thalia's apartment, and the silence between them grew uncomfortable. She was just about to say something when Percy opened his mouth.

"So, why did you come live here?" He said.

"Well, an industry offered me a job as their new architecture planner, and I accepted it." She said. "I used to live in San Francisco, so i'm staying at Thalia's apartment for now. At least before I get one of my own."

"Cool." Percy said.

The silence stretched on, and this time, Annabeth felt compelled to help make small talk. She ran through a bunch of subjects in her head before picking one.

"Since when do you know Thalia?" She asked.

It seemed reasonable to her to try and talk about the things (or persons, in this case) they had in common, as it was something they could both talk about easily. She thought of the slight tightening in Percy's jaw when she asked that question, as if he was thinking she was trying to one-up him. It quickly went away, and she was left with her thoughts of _Oh my Gods Annabeth stop over-analyzing everything._

"Mmmm…" Percy seemed to hesitate when the question was asked. "We met when she moved here, about four years ago?"

Annabeth remembered. Thalia's mother had died in a car crash when she had drunk a little bit too more, and her father hadn't shown up for years. Thalia was immediately shipped off to a camp in which she spent most of her summers, while her school years were spent in a boarding school somewhere in Sound Island. The boarding school and camp were paid by the generous amount of money Thalia's mother had, as her dad had at least given them something to live off of. As soon as she was a legal adult, she had moved away to New York, and used the money to buy herself and apartment.

Thalia had told Annabeth all about it, and as she didn't want to go to college, she found herself working in a bookstore. They didn't pay badly, and she decided she could live off that. She didn't know what she wanted to do, but Annabeth was sure she would end up in a tattoo parlor. It and always been Thalia's dream, and each year she saved more and more money to go to art classes and open her tattoo parlor. Percy, though, was a complete mystery. She didn't know where he came from, or what he planned to do in the future.

So she asked.

"Oh, well, honestly?" He said. "I don't really know. I mean-" he said, seeing Annabeth's expression, "I don't have anything really planned. My father wants for me to take over his industry, but I don't really care. I think my brother should do it."

"And isn't there anything you want to do?" Annabeth pressed.

"Well…" Percy trailed off.

Before she could ask anything else, they found themselves in the front door of Thalia's building. She looked back at him, and he offered a lopsided smile.

"Thank you for walking me home, I guess." She said.

"Oh, you're welcome." Percy replied.

Annabeth took off Percy's jacket and handed it to him, saying a thank you again and smiling back. He saw him turn around and head down the street, without looking back. She also saw his broad shoulders and muscles in his jeans and jacket, but shook her head and pushed the door. As she climbed up the stairs again, she thought of her upcoming date and groaned quietly, realizing she'd probably have to wear a dress.

Of course, not all dresses where uncomfortable, and she was sure she would be able to find something in two days. She reached Thalia's landing and walked down the hall, then opened the door to Thalia's apartment.

This time she was careful of leaving the bag in her desk and organizing everything exactly like last night. She then changed into a pajama with long, blue pants and a dark blue blouse. She took out her computer and set to work on the model of the building. by the time Thalia arrived and started clattering in her room, Annabeth was almost done. She quickly perfected some details and finished, going to the kitchen to dine with her friend. The moment she walked through the door, Thalia looked at her and burst into laughter.

She rolled onto the floor and if she didn't know she was laughing at her, Annabeth would've tried to help her. Now, though, she just took out the ingredients for the sushi they were making today. It wasn't much, but Thalia had gotten a recipe online sand they had been wanting to try it for a while now. Following the steps in Thalia's phone, she slowly set the sushi up. She was hallways through it when Thalia finally came up, her face a little red from laughing. She was clutching her stomach, and let out uneven breaths.

"Oh… My… Gods…" She said, taking deep breath with each pause. "I cannot... believe… you actually went for it…"

"Well what was I supposed to do?!" Annabeth replied, raising her voice without noticing it.

"Annabeth, chill." Thalia said, and she instantly felt bad for shouting at her. "If you don't want to go, I can call the whole thing off."

"Nah, it's alright." Annabeth said, offering her best friend a small smile.

"So you do want to go!" Thalia said, springing up to the opportunity.

"Can't we just make sushi in peace?" Annabeth said.

"Fine, but you can't really deny it anymore!" Thalia replied.

She rolled her eyes and looked back at Thalia's phone, then scrolled down to show the rest of the recipe. They stayed like that, rolling sushi in silence, until Thalia said she was bored.

"You sound like a five year old, Thalia." Annabeth said.

"Well then I am a five year old!" Thalia replied. "At least let me put the TV on!"

Annabeth considered it for a moment before shrugging. Thalia walked over to the living room's table, then picked up the remote. After sifting through then channels for a bit, she picked BBC, where they were playing some old episodes. David Tennant looked at them from the screen, explaining what an extrapolator was, they both watched the episode happily, and at the end, they had all the sushi ready.

Thalia took out the plates and the soy sauce while Annabeth placed them on the table, and before long they were sitting watching Doctor Who and talking about their days. They were both kind of tired, though, so they quickly said goodnight after finishing their food. It was pretty good, too.

When she got to her bedroom Annabeth planned on working a little, but she was more tired than she thought. The moment she got into her bed and rolled over, she fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

*Annabeth's POV*

Annabeth looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. She, for the first time in a long time, did not know what to wear. She normally threw on the first thing she found, but that didn't seem appropriate for this occasion. A real date was not something Annabeth had often. She had been looking through he piles of clothes for the last half hour without much success. She sat on her bed, and just when she was about to give up, Thalia walked in.

"Hey!" she said, and her eyes immediately flew to the room. "I see you've been busy."

It was, maybe, a mess. Her clothes were strewn all over the floor, and all the contents in every single one of the closet's drawers had been emptied. Her floor was composed by a few layers of clothes, and she frowned at the bra that hung from the bedpost. She took it down and threw it across the room, then looked back at Thalia.

"What's up?" She said.

"Well, I figured you might have a little bit of trouble in picking out something to wear, so I went ahead and bought you this!" She swung a bag from her back, then opened the zipper.

Annabeth gasped despite herself, and looked at the dress Thalia was holding. It was blue, with small white specks that concentrated in the dress' top. It was beautiful.

"Where did you get this?" Annabeth said, looking at the dress in awe.

"Shop down the street." Thalia said. "They've got some pretty killer outfits."

Annabeth sat there for a moment, admiring the dress, before Thalia snapped her out of it.

"Well then?" She said. "Try it on!"

She quickly did as told, taking the dress from Thalia's hands. She slipped out of her jeans and blouse, taking off her shoes as she did so. Then, she shrugged on the dress.

It was surprisingly comfortable, and the material hugged her form without making it too little for her. She looked down at her now exposed knees and took out some white shoes from her closet. She put them on and smiled, comfortable with the dress Thalia had gotten her.

"Thank for the dress!" She said, hugging her best friend.

"You're welcome!" Thalia replied.

Annabeth quickly pick out a dark blue small purse form her closet, and stuffed her phone, headphones, and a book in it. Just in case. She hopped out of the room, and was halfway through the door, picking up the keys, when Thalia called her.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"To my date?" Annabeth said. "The one you set me up on?"

"I know!" Thalia said. "But why right now?"

"Ummm…" She replied, unsure of what Thalia wanted her to say. "I don't want to be late for my date?"

"I know you don't want to, but you can't just go like this! Perce is suppose to pick you up!"

"He is?"

"Yeah!" Thalia said. "Chill, he'll come. Why don't we watch some TV before he does, though?"

Annabeth looked back at the door another time, before putting the keys back and her purse on the table. She agree to Thalia's idea, and together, they sat on the couch to watch TV.

*Percy's POV*

Percy Jackson looked around his room, before groaning and falling onto his bed.

He was so angry at Thalia. Apparently she and thought setting them up on a date would be a good idea, but now Percy was more frustrated than ever. He just wanted to stay home, but thanks to Thalia, he and to do one of the things he like the less. He had to dress up.

He only had one tuxedo, and looking at it made him want to puke. It had been his outfit for his dad's last party, and things hadn't gone so well. They had ended up shouting, and now they weren't speaking. His brother, Tyson, kept asking them to reconcile, but so far his complaints had fallen on deaf ears. He didn't want to talk to his dad, and their differences were just the beginning of it.

So now he sat on his bed. Well, lay on his bed. Pondering whether he should use the tuxedo or not, when his phone rang. The caller ID said it was Thalia, so he picked it up and started talking.

"Hello?"

 _"Hello? Perce?"_

"Yeah. What's up?"

 _"What's up is that my best friend is ready for you to take her out to dinner in a fancy Italian restaurant, but you haven't arrived."_

He looked at the clock in the bedside table and sighed, then resumed talking to Thalia.

"I've still got, like, half an hour to get ready."

 _"Yeah, I know. What bothers me is that, knowing you, you're sprawled on your bed, thinking about what you should wear."_

"Thalia, your point?"

 _"I'm here to help you pick something to wear."_

"You are not even here, and I don't need fashion advice. Don't worry."

 _"Yeah you do. Wear the dark blue tuxedo."_

"Fine."

 _"Good! I'll talk to you later!"_

Knowing there was no way around this, Percy shrugged the tuxedo on, buttoning in up and arranging its collar. He put on some black dress shoes and even tried combing his hair, although it did not make much of a difference.

He got out of his room, walked through the small apartment, the reached the door. Taking the house and car keys, he open the door and closed it behind him. He almost immediately regretted it, as it was pouring outside. Still, he walked from the apartment's door to the car, then got in and started it. Cold, freezing air immediately hit him, and he sighed. Then he remembered how Annabeth had shivered during the cold, and turned it off.

Annabeth. The name was nice. She was one of the few beautiful girls Percy had met so far, and even if he had denied it, one of the few he had taken interest in. What was unexpected was for Thalia to notice. Actually, scratch that. It wasn't that odd for her to notice it. It _was_ odd for her to set them up in a date.

But he actually liked this girl, so he went for it. He actually liked this girl, so now he was driving to Thalia's apartment, in the pouring rain, to get to her. To take her to L'Ancora, the Italian restaurant on his father was influent in. It had to be the restaurant in which his father's brother, Hades, worked in. Of course, why not.

Hades had started working on the restaurant when his wife, Maria Di Angelo, had died, leaving him with two children to take care of. the oldest one, Bianca, had died years ago from a car crash Percy always felt guilty for. Nico, the youngest one, and trusted him to take care of her, but he hadn't. Nico was over that now, though, and so was Percy. It was all well. Or at least, better than it had been before.

He turned the corner before Thalia's house, then took his umbrella and walked out. He reached Thalia's door and knocked, and Thalia opened the door, with Annabeth behind her.

"Hey, Perce!" She said.

"Hey Thals. Hey Annabeth." He replied.

"Hi." Annabeth said.

He watched as she took her purse and the keys to Thalia's home from the table, the walked out the door under Percy's umbrella. they were almost done the street when they heard Thalia shout behind them.

"Bring her back before midnight!"

They both rolled their eyes as they heard Thalia laugh, then close the door. They made their way to Percy's act, and Annabeth settled on the passenger seat while Percy on the driver's one, and he set the car off. They made small talk all the way to the restaurant, until they reached it.

Percy got out first, and remembering the manners his mother, Sally, had taught him, he opened Annabeth's door. He helped her get out, and held the umbrella for them both. he also told a joke, which made Annabeth giggle. She looked a little bit cute. Just a little.

Smiling, they reached the doorway, and Percy stored his umbrella in the little box next to the door. He asked the man for the reservation and gave him his name, and if the man recognized it, he made no intention of saying anything. They walked over to the table and sat down, smiling at each other from across the table. Maybe this would not be so bad after all.

*Annabeth's POV*

"And, so…" Annabeth said between laughs. "So.. I come over to the lady… who, mind you, was already laughing…"

Annabeth loved telling this story, and Percy seemed to be loving it too. There was a sparkle in his eyes that showed he was happy, and his mouth was set into a wide smile, teeth and everything. She finished telling the story, and by the time she did, she was loving Percy's lopsided smile. It took a while for her to notice she was staring at his lips, but he dint seem to have noticed.

He was looking across the restaurant, to where the kitchens were. Annabeth was about to ask him if everything as alright when the waiter came.

"Would you like to order?" He said, and they both nodded.

"I'd like a this calzone please," she said, pointing at a spot in the menu, "And another glass of water."

"I would like a personal pizza, ham and cheese, please." Percy said, and Annnabeth rolled her eyes inwardly.

"I can't believe it! We come to an Italian restaurant and you order pizza!" Annabeth said, as soon as the waiter was gone with their orders.

"Well, I have come here before, and the pizza is quite good. Besides, I don't like fancy plates or foods much." Percy said. "I'd rather stick to pizzas, sandwiches, coke and donuts. What about you?"

"Well," Annabeth said. "I like to try new things, so I'd like to order something new. So you've come here before?"

"Yeah, the son of the main chef is a friend of mine." Percy said.

Percy made a face, as though he wasn't sure the person in question would like to be addressed as a 'friend'. It was gone within a second though, so Annabeth shrugged it off. The kept talking and talking until their food arrived, at which time they talk in the few moments between bites. They were both eating as though they hadn't eaten in days.

"This is so good!" Annabeth said.

"I know right!" Percy replied. "It's one of my favorite restaurants!"

They continued talking and talking, until they were finished, at which time Annabeth felt like she was going to explode.

"Ugh, I'm so full." She said. "I feel like I just ate a whole cow."

"Come on!" Percy said. :You have got to at least try the desserts!"

"Okay, okay. I will." Annabeth said.

They ended up sharing some type of ice cream as dessert, and Annabeth was glad she ad agree dot come on this date. Also, the fact that she and agreed to eat dessert. She expressed this last fact, and Percy smiled his lopsided, charming smile again.

"Yeah, the food here is pretty good." Percy said.

"I'll definitely come here again! I loved it so much!" Annabeth said. "Besides-" she added, "I don't really know many restaurants here, I'd love to meet wonderful places like these!"

"I could take you to some." Percy offered.

"I'd love for you to!" Annabeth replied.

They exited the restaurant and walked towards the car, telling each other stupid jokes on the way. When they were on their way to Thalia's apartment in Percy's car, he turned on the radio. Heavydirtysoul by Twenty One Pilots started playing, and Percy started humming along. At the same time, Annabeth softly sang the words to the song. By the time they made it to Thalia's apartment for Annabeth to get off, they were both singing shamelessly.

They climbed up the steps to Thalia's apartment, then Percy knocked. There was a slight moment where Percy's eyes darted to Annabeth's lips and Annabeth's eyes dart to Percy's lips, but Thalia opened the door and the moment was gone. They both turned to look at her.

"Thanks for doing this for me guys." Thalia said.

"Sure!" Percy said.

"No problem!" Annabeth chimed in.

"Well, say goodbye, because little Annabeth here has got work tomorrow." Thalia said. "And so do you, Percy!"

"All right, all right." Percy said. "Bye, Annabeth! Bye, Thalia!"

"Bye!" Both girls said together.

They watched Percy make his way to his car, turn the engine on, then drive away. Thalia closed the door and immediately rounded on Annabeth.

"Spill, spill, spill!" She said.

Annabeth laughed and led her best friend to the living room, where she knew she would be spending a lot of time this evening.


End file.
